We love, love HoMA!! We visit every time we are on Oahu…read more They have a deep collection and fantastic special exhibits. We spend 2-3 hours each time we visit. We live on Kaua'i and are over to Oahu several times a year. On a recent visit, we really loved a special exhibit of Ralph Iwamoto, a Hawaiian artist, woh passed in 2013. See pictures of Ralph's work that was on exhibit in August of 2026. If you're visiting and that exhibit is no longer available, there will be other special exhibits - usually 2. And, their standing pieces are always great! Highly recommended!!

The Honolulu Museum of Art is a must for anyone visiting Honolulu. With a $25.00 per person…read moreadmission fee, you get access to the museum for the entire day, access to the snack store, and on Friday nights, you get to experience an art after dark event. Although my brother and I didn't get a chance to participate in the art after dark event, we still had a great time exploring the different exhibits that were there. We're both lovers of art, so it was important to us to stop by and get a sense of how various Asian countries have documented the continent's history through art. While I enjoyed every exhibit equally, I will admit that I had a particularly great time at the Chinese courtyard as it does offer a nice little quiet zone where one could meditate should they fell so inclined. If you're interested in learning more about how various Asian countries have contributed to Hawaii's rich history, the Honolulu Museum of Art is a great place to check out since it doesn't get as packed as bigger museums. The museum's smaller size allows you to move at a slower pace and really take in some of the information and art that's on display.

A great place to spend some time exploring island history and learning more about Hawaiian culture…read more From the stories of Hawai'i's royal lineage to the Polynesian origins of its people, the Bishop Museum covers it all--music, art, artifacts, and cultural narratives. It's also very kid‑friendly, with plenty of hands‑on exhibits that make learning fun. Overall, it's a solid stop for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Hawai'i's heritage.

Friendly staff and tons to see. The grounds and are well-kept and walkable. You'll learn a lot…read moreabout Hawaiian history and the Pacific region. There's rotating exhibits in the Castle Memorial Building. When I take the kids, I go to the Science Adventure Center to see the volcano simulation. I would spend about 3-4 hours at the museum. If you need to rest, there's benches and water refill stations across the property. The only cafe on-site is Tutu's Place by Highway Inn. The food is good (consistent with Highway Inn quality). It does get packed though, so plan your dining accordingly.

Formerly known as Hawaii State Art Museum. Located between Honolulu City and the State Capitol and…read moreIolani Palace. The venue often showcases local art installations highlight Polynesian and Asian themes. Frequent live music and event nights make this a museum to frequent often.

The Capitol Modern Art Museum on Richards Street in Honolulu is an amazing experience! Best of all,…read moreit's free to attend and offers a wonderful mix of art, music, dancing, and community. I enjoyed exploring the art exhibits and seeing the creativity of local artists. There were also vendors selling local products, jewelry, hats, clothing, and other unique items. If you'd like, you can also grab a drink or food while enjoying the event. The museum hosts special First Friday events every month, creating a fun and vibrant atmosphere where people can gather, socialize, and appreciate art and culture. For convenient parking, I recommend the Aliʻi Place parking garage, where parking is very affordable. It's a great way to spend an evening in downtown Honolulu, whether you're a local or a visitor.

The Iolani Palace is Hawaii's historical landmark, the only official royal palace, visitors must go…read morethrough the self guide audio tour, which can last 30 to 45 minutes depending on your own pace. Despite the underground jewelry room is closed for maintenance, the tour indeed offers a glimpse into Hawaiian history, showcasing the 1st floor staterooms, and the private 2nd floor living spaces where the queen was held under house arrest. I think it should be sufficient planning two hours here, including parking, getting tickets, watching video, and time stamped self guide audio tours, and it costs $28 for adults.

As a Kamaaina, i bought my husband to Iolani Palace to share our beautiful…read moreculture. From ticket to exit, Aloha is no longer present at the palace. No friendly warm smile. Poor customer service. Lack of docent knowledge. The strict rules are fine and understandable but just poor ambassadors of our alii's home.

Foster Botanical Garden is a beautiful oasis in the heart of Chinatown in Honolulu, Hawaii. We…read morealways enjoy visiting and getting a chance to reconnect with nature while we're in Honolulu. The garden features a wonderful variety of flora and wildlife, making it a great destination for nature lovers and bird watchers alike. There are several benches throughout the grounds where you can sit, relax, and take in the surroundings, along with a small greenhouse to explore. There's a minimal admission fee, and the garden also has a private parking lot, which is a definite plus in this part of Honolulu. A peaceful little escape from the city and definitely worth a visit if you enjoy plants, wildlife, and simply spending some time outdoors.

Loved this place. Great place to just decompress and walk around for a good 45 mins. or so. The…read morebotanical garden is basically right in the middle of HNL. Check this place out. The collection of plants and trees are remarkable.

Called 4/3/2026 3:50pm. Closed. Spoke to owner. This business is closed. He said this business has…read morebeen closed for a while now. No plans to reopen.

ONE HOUR LIVE THEATER WORKSHOP FOR KIDS 4-12 with ACTIVE AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION $14.95…read more I'll be honest, I don't really know how to write this review because I don't know how to describe what exactly is going on here. BUT "The Rhelm" opened two months ago and is only here for a limited time and if your kids have seen everything on Oahu already, this is something DIFFERENT. It's not like a discovery center. It's not a museum. It's not a playground. You basically walk into a day in the life of the town of Wentrus. (See www.therhelm.com for more details) *cue the imagination music* The town of Wentrus got burned down by a dragon. The town needs help rebuilding. As soon as you ("the traveller") arrive, the villagers will take you to their various workshops where you can earn stamps on your passport when you do good deeds. Weaving and tinkering are just a few of the good deeds that my kids got to experience. HOURS: Fri 6-9pm, Sat 9a-9pm, Sun 9a-6pm. You can come whenever you want during these hours, they put a colored dot on your card so they will announce when your one-hour time limit is up. It goes by pretty quickly. LOCATION: Aloha Tower Marketplace, ground floor, across Gordon Birsch. I think they're only here til the end of September but I'm not even sure about that. PRICE: $14.95 for one hour. Other party packages are available too (ie $250 for 15 kids for a 2hr private party). PARKING: not validated. $5 flat rate (weekdays after 4pm, weekend days) *cue the reality music* So all the pictures I posted are in the square footage of one store, so this place is not really that big. Do NOT bring babies, toddlers, strollers (see age recommendation 4-12yrs), because there isn't room for all of that and it won't make sense to them anyway. Just bring your imagination and creative spirit and your kids will have a great time.

"Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes…read more.. Abstract art enables the artist to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an exploration into unknown areas." - Arshile Gorky After recent visits to the Hawai'i State Art Museum and Honolulu Museum of Art, we were inspired to visit this art museum. This Contemporary Museum at the First Hawaiian Center is an extension of the Honolulu Museum of Art. It features the work by artists of Hawai'i who use a variety of media and displays can be found in the bank's lobby and second floor mezzanine. Exhibits and artistic works are routinely rotated. The museum isn't very large and usually has enough space to feature 3 artists at a time. I can't express how the different artwork affected my senses and emotions as everyone will have their own impression(s). You may or may not feel or see what I have seen or what the artist was trying to express. However, when you come to the First Hawaiian Center, you'll also be impressed with the architecture. The former CEO and Chairman of First Hawaiian Bank, Walter A. Dods, Jr, is responsible for completing and opening Hawai'i's tallest building. Distinctive architectural features bring in as much natural sunlight as possible, views from its mountain-side use vertically-proportioned windows and ocean-facing views can be seen through horizontally framed windows that capture the sea and horizon. The building's shape resembles a knife as it "slashes through" its banking competition, Bank of Hawai'i. If you happen to be in Downtown Honolulu's Financial District, check out this museum. Explore and discover the unknown.

The Contemporary Museum is located inside the main branch of First Hawaiian Bank. It occupies…read moresections of the first and second floors. A person would need to take the stairs to get to the second floor. I'm unsure if the art gallery wing on the second floor can be accessed by the elevators...if they do then a person would have to pass the FHB workers in order to get to the gallery First Hawaiian Bank and Honolulu Museum of Art just had their 20th anniversary of partnership in 2016. Paintings and art sculptures on the two levels are part of the First Hawaiian Bank's art collections. Individuals are able to browse both levels for free. All art in the museum were done by individuals growing up in Hawaii or from transplanted former residents of the island. I recommend everyone to stop by the Contemporary Museum in the Downtown Honolulu location of First Hawaiian Bank. 10/100

Wow! This home is a gem. Our docent, Judie was very knowledgeable and such a wonderful story…read moreteller. We learned so much about the Liljestrand family and about how they lived in this very special home designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff.

Loved the tour, history and the house. It was amazing. But…read moreas someone who is regular weight and height, but struggling with infertility, to be asked by the docent whether I was pregnant, is hugely hurtful and shows lack of interpersonal interactions. Specially as she was a woman, or even it it were a man, that is unacceptable. I am not expecting. We are going through IVF. I thought everyone from a young age was asked not to ask that kind of question. I loved our visit, but now it's on a sour feeling. Would not recommend bc of conduct of the docent. Otherwise, it's spectacular

We have driven by for years. Decades actually…read more We finally stop in, on a rainy Saturday morning. It's a fantastic home - and heightens your appreciation for the royalty that one ruled the islands. The Daughters of Hawai'i have gone to extraordinary lengths to preserve, present and honor Queen Emma's summer home. We had several representatives of the daughters on site, each with extensive historical knowledge of Queen Emma, her family and this lovely home. If you love history, or if you would like to know about life of royalty on the islands, check this historical home out. They have a lovely gift shop. Highly recommended!!

Dropped by after hiking nearby to see if we could Tour Queen Emma's Summer Palace without…read morereservations. We paid for the self tour and entered the building. Read through the information so we could understand the different items we were viewing. Fascinating walk through Hawaii History and Queen Emma's own personal involvement . Some of the furniture is beautifully made with local wood. There were interesting gifts received from other rulers. There were beautiful feathered capes on display, which the handout how they were produced by only taking a few feathers from multiple birds and releasing without doing harm.

After a hearty lunch at Duke's Waikiki, we wandered into the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii--free…read moreentry, though I gave a little donation to support our service members. It turned out to be a surprising gem--like a smaller, more intimate counterpart to larger historic sites. Since I didn't have time or transport to see Pearl Harbor, this will have to do. Food for the mind (5 stars): * Walking through the weapons, vehicles, and dioramas--from Hawaii's defenses to Vietnam's history--felt immersive and educational. * Seeing both U.S. and Viet Cong weaponry side by side added perspective. * Medal displays and heroic stories tugged at my heart; the sacrifices were humbling. * Highlight? The Cobra helicopter atop the museum--my daughter and I loved it! Service/Ambiance (4 stars): * Information staff was rigid like a soldier. This is a historical building--a former coastal defense fort--was fascinating in itself. * The space is compact, so expect a quick visit--worth it, though! Overall, a solid 5-star experience--a hidden Waikiki gem for history buffs!

Very cool free activity to do to beat the heat. Loved everything about this museum. Very…read moreinformative and loved learning about the history. Employees were friendly. They also have a gift shop. Restrooms available as well.